Bear's warehouses or Central Bonded Stores, 15-19 McKillop Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Bear's warehouses or Central Bonded Stores, 15-19 McKillop Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 106370 106371 106372
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2022:__________________________________________________Period: Early VictorianDATE: 1854-60;ASSOCIATIONS: Bear, John Pinney;DESIGNER: Turner, J J; White, F M;BUILDER: Huckson, Robert.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYStatement of SignificanceCentral Bonded Store15-19 McKillop StreetBuilt: 1854, 1860HistoryJohn Piney Bear appears to have been the first owner and occupier of these three, three-storeyed stone warehouses. Bear commissioned architect, J J Turner and Builder, Robert Huckson for their erection in 1854. Turner also designed an enclosing wall for Bear's horse yard in Little Collins Street, south of these stores. Bear commissioned the eminent architect, F M White to design substantial alterations to the stores in 1860. Huckson was again the builder.Hodgkinson's survey in mid 1853 for the proposed sewering and water supply of Melbourne showed the site as fenced allotments. Bibb's Melbourne Roll Plan of c1856 shows that substantial buildings had been erected in the interim, covering two tenancies. Bear occupied them as the Central Bonded Store, leasing part (one-third?) to J H Lempriere in the 1880s. John Pinney Bear died at Tahbilk in 1889. Near 50 years before he had arrived as a child in Melbourne; his father having commenced a stock and station agent's business (John Bear and Son). John Pinney inherited, made his pile and returned to the old country, coming back to Melbourne in 1860 to establish the Melbourne Banking Corporation. Meanwhile he, and various partners, leased the runs of Swanwater South (1855 - 6), Noorongong (1861 - 9), Dederang (1852 - 6), Mitta Mitta No. 2 (1862 - 7), Bullock Creek (1865 - ) and Mt. Pleasant (1864 - 70). Bear also served on the Legislative Council (1863 - 78) for South Province, returning to England for the last time on the completion of his terms. He died at his vineyard, now 'Chateau Tahbilk' in 1889. He had supervised the planting of the first vines there for Tahbilk Pty Ltd in 1860. Bear eventually purchased the company shares and the vines, deserving the credit for establishing this nationally famous vineyard.DescriptionThree simply parapetted, three storey basalt rubble stores which have what appears to be an added floor in brick, probably marking the additional work designed by F M White in 1860. Raised gabled entablatures surmount a string mould which repeats at the storey lines, dividing off window openings which decreases in height with the increasing facade height. Of the remaining basalt finished parapetted warehouses in the city, this (in its final state) is later than the Allison and Knight Store (1859), 46 - 52 King Street. Nevertheless, beyond these few highly important examples, the Central Bonded Store is the next oldest and architecturally pretentious in the city. Cleve's Store at 573 - 585 Lonsdale Street and 236 - 238 King Street were all designed by Leonard Terry, have a higher integrity, and are superior architecturally.IntegrityOpenings have been altered, particularly on number 15, air units, (15) and signs have been added and the stone has been painted.SignificanceAmong a small number of basalt 1850s warehouses which survive in the city, they are in part the work of eminent Melbourne architect, F M White and owned and occupied by prominent vigneron, pastoralist and politician, J P Bear..LOVELL CHEN 2016, GUILDFORD AND HARDWARE LANE HERITAGE STUDYStatement of SignificanceWhat is SignificantThe buildings at 15, 17 and 19 McKillop Street are a row of three 1850s/1860 warehouses. They are of stone construction, overpainted, with some brick walling; and of four storeys, or three storeys plus a semi-basement. The row present as simply detailed parapeted buildings constructed of basalt rubble, with string moulds delineating each level, and topped by a low pediment. Window openings decrease in size with the increasing façade height, although the windows have been modified from the original or early form. The ground floor facades vary in their form and treatment, but are all modern fabric, including large windows and folding glazed doors.How is it SignificantThe buildings at 15, 17 and 19 McKillop Street are of historical and aesthetic/architectural significance to the City of Melbourne.Why is it SignificantThe buildings at 15, 17 and 19 McKillop Street, constructed in 1854 for John Pinney Bear, and extended in 1860, are of local historical significance. They are among a relatively small number of 1850s stone warehouses which survive in the city, are demonstrably early buildings within the central city context, and important signifiers of early construction and mercantile activity. The association with Bear is also of note. He was a Member of the Legislative Council in Victoria, established the Melbourne Banking Corporation, was a Director of the National Bank, and also a successful vigneron with an association with the historic winery, Chateau Tahbilk. (Criterion A)The buildings are also of local aesthetic/architectural significance. Despite modifications, the former warehouses retain their overall early appearance and form, including their simply detailed parapeted basalt rubble facades, with string moulds delineating each level, and topped by a low pediment. Their presentation is enhanced by their primitive rubble construction. They are also robust building forms to McKillop Street, and enrich the heritage character of the street. (Criterion E).GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 80,p293; and City of Melbourne Building Permit Application 2100,346__________________________________________________REID, KEITH & JOHN R, 1976, MELBOURNE CBD STUDY AREA 7 (source 80)15,17 and 19 McKILLOP STREETBUILT: Pre1848 (2)DESCRIPTION:The buildings are a matching trio of stone stores on three properties, being threestories with cellar.ALTERATIONS :New shop fronts have been inserted, gantry hoist loading bays on upper floors have had sills blocked in and windows ·inserted.CONSTRUCTION &·MATERIALS·:Random bluestone··throughout plastered and painted. internally ,timber floors on cast iron. columns, ·corrugated .iron roof 4.CITYSCAPE RELATIONSHIP:A group of three stone stores of historical and architectural consequence, which make a significant contribution, .together .with Nos. 12 and 16 on the east side, to the scale and character of· McKillop Street.RECOMMENDATION:The ·whole of the buildings are recommended as important for retention..CHRONOLOGY:1848-513 stone stores of 3 stories and cellar owned and occupied by Dunlop McNab and Co.1852-56Owned and occupied by Hart & Henty1857-72Owned by J. P Bear and occupied by him, together with Dougherty, Crosby. Bear joined by Lempriere in 1865.1873-1913Stone stores on land 16.45 x 38.3 M. now owned by G Robertson. One occupied by Robertson and the other by John Alexander. It is possible that one store was occupied by Walker May as a printing office over this period, but they could have had the building immediately to the north, now a vacant site.DESCRIPTIONThe three matching stores have random rusticated bluestone walling throughout capped with crudely carved bluestone cornices with centre pediments. Timber floors are each supported by three cast iron columns along the length with timber baulks over. The columns have simple bell capitals similar to, but not identical to the old tram pit supportsUpper floors have minimal ceiling heights and access is by timber 'ship' stairs. Roofs are hipped.Renovation has spoilt the strong facades to some extent with new flimsy shop fronts, changing of window sashes and blocking in hoist loading bays, but· the strength and simplicity of the original is still obvious on upper floors.HISTORICAL ANALYSISMcKillop has historically had close association with the early horse bazaars of Bourke Street, it has housed Lewis Robertson the veterinary surgeon, blacksmiths and carpenters and reputedly Ebenezer Brown the first coach builder in Melbourne, all of whom lived in wooden and brick cottages located around these particular stores.In the 1860' s the stores were comparatively large scale buildings with large clear sign writing on the south face advertising 'Bears central Bonding Warehouse'. (34)Historically the stores are of further interest due to the 40 year ownership ,of George .Robertson, who also owned stores in Equitable Place (refer E3) and was the founder of Robertson and Mullens. No. 17 is currently occupied by Joels Auction Rooms.ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSISThe stores are of great interest due to their age, basic but good craftsmanship, crude bluestone decoration and minute scale. They may be compared with the Horin Shops (W1) which are more speculative, and with warehousing in Equitable Place (E3) which is larger of scale and more sophisticated in detail.RECOMMENDATION'Due to historical value and architectural interest, it is recommended that the whole of the buildings are important for retention.__________________________________________________HERITAGE BRANCH, MINISTRY FOR PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT 1987 CITY OF MELBOURNE CENTRAL CITY NOTABLE BUILDINGS CITATIONSSTATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEThese three b1uestone three-storey stores are believed to have been constructed in the early 1850's and were used in that decade as the premises of businesses associated with the early horse bazaars in Bourke Street such as coach builders, blacksmiths and veterinary surgeons. They were later used as bonded stores. The buildings are of great interest because of their age, their primitive rubble construction and theirnotable associations with a very early and now vanished industry of the city.__________________________________________________LOVELL CHEN 2016, GUILDFORD AND HARDWARE LANE HERITAGE STUDYHistoryClement Hogkinson’s survey for the proposed sewering and water supply of Melbourne undertaken in 1853 showed the subject site on McKillop Street as fenced allotments. The following year, in December 1854, J P Bear lodged a notice of intention to build stores in McKillop Street. The architect for this work was J J Turner, and the builder, Robert Huckson of Wellington Street, Collingwood.2 John Pinney Bear had arrived in Melbourne in 1841, aged 18, where his father commenced a stock and station agent’s business called Bear & Son. Bear inherited the business following his father’s death in 1851, before selling it in c. 1856 and retiring to England. He returned to Melbourne four years later and established the Melbourne Banking Corporation.3 He was also a Member of the Legislative Council in Victoria, a Director of the National Bank, and a successful vigneron.4 He died at his vineyard, now Chateau Tahbilk, in 1889.5The row of stone buildings was known as ‘The Central Bonding Warehouses’, as per the c. 1860s image at Figure 3. They were of four storeys, or three plus a semi-basement. In 1860, alterations were made to the stores, with Robert Huckson again the builder. The architect for this work was F M White,6 who was active in Melbourne from the 1850s, and responsible for some important works including the Quadrangle at the University of Melbourne (1854-7).7 Rate books for the year 1861 describe each of the three warehouses on McKillop Street as stone houses with three flats and cellars, valued at £300 each.8 While the exact nature of the 1860 works has not been confirmed, it is possible that the top level was added at this time. Again, with reference to c. 1860s image, this appears to indicate a change in the stonework to the top level of the façade, and more clearly a change from stone to brick walling in the north elevation.In 1861, two of the warehouses were occupied by Bear, while he leased the third to John McDonnell.9 J P Bear remained in McKillop Street until the early 1870s.10 By 1875, at least one of the warehouses, described as a stone building with four floors, appears to have been purchased by George Robertson, stationers, and leased to Walker, May & Co.11.Figure 3 Subject warehouses in c. 1860s; note the name on the north elevation of 19 McKillop Street, ‘The Central Bonding Warehouses’Source: State Library of VictoriaFigure 4 Detail of Mahlstedt fire insurance plan, Map 134, 1888, indicating the subject buildings (as four storeys)Source: State Library of VictoriaFigure 5 Detail of MMBW plan no. 1011, 1894Source: State Library of VictoriaFigure 6 Detail of Mahlstedt fire insurance plan, 1925, indicating the subject buildings (as three storeys)Source: State Library of VictoriaFigure 7 Subject warehouses in McKillop Street, 1954Source: State Library of Victoria.By 1900, the warehouses were occupied by the Imperial Printers Furnishing Company, and Alexander Paterson, commission merchants. Subsequent businesses included, at 15 McKillop Street: Rogers, Seller and Co, importers (1920s) and Higgins, exporters (1950s); at 17 McKillop Street: Duffs, indentors and manufacturing agents (1920s), West End Furnishers, furniture retailers (1950s) and Clarke Sutherland, electrical goods wholesalers (1950s); and at 19 McKillop Street: Dudfields, merchants (1920s), Ward, Lock & Co, publishers (1950s) and Partridge, softgoods wholesalers (1950s).12Further changes occurred to the buildings, in the early to mid-twentieth century, and again more recently. As indicated in the 1860s image at Figure 3, the façades of the warehouses had large central openings, with landing doors, for loading; and crane beams above. Interestingly, in this image, the top landing doors are open, indicating activity in the buildings at the time the photograph was taken. The large central openings are flanked, in a symmetrical arrangement, by windows of more narrow proportions.In the 1954 image at Figure 7, the most obvious changes to the 1860s form of the building, are the infilling of the large central openings, involving removal of the landing doors, introduction of glazing, window framing and sills, and the addition of stone courses to infill the bottom sections of the openings. The modified central window treatments vary across the warehouses. The flanking windows were also, to varying degrees, modified by 1954. At ground floor level, the façade had been given a makeover, with shopfront windows introduced, and large entries.Currently, the upper levels of the building substantially reflect the form of the 1950s, while the ground floor facades have been modified again….ReferencesGraeme Butler & Associates, Melbourne Central Activity District (CAD) Conservation Study, prepared for the City of Melbourne, 1985.1 The following history is based on that included in the property citation in G Butler, Melbourne CAD Study, 1985, augmented by additional research and investigation.2 Miles Lewis Australian Architectural Index, notice of intention to build, MCC registration no. 2100, 22 December 1854, record no. 729603 ‘John Pinney Bear’, accessed via http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/details/207-bear-john-pinney, 26 May 2016.4 ‘John Pinney Bear’, accessed via http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/details/207-bear-john-pinney, 26 May 2016.5 Will of John Pinney Bear, VPRS 28/P0 Unit 509, Public Record Office Victoria.6 Miles Lewis Australian Architectural Index, notice of intention for alterations, MCC registration no. 346, 12 June 1860, record no. 729617 Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture, P Goad and J Willis (eds), 2012, p. 762.8 City of Melbourne rate books, Volume 1: 1861, Lonsdale Ward, rate nos. 42-44, VPRS 5708/P9, Public Record Office Victoria.9 City of Melbourne rate books, Volume 1: 1861, Lonsdale Ward, rate nos. 42-44, VPRS 5708/P9, Public Record Office Victoria.10 Sands and McDougall directory, 1870.11 City of Melbourne rate books, Volume 14: 1875, Lonsdale Ward, rate no. 363, VPRS 5708/P9, Public Record Office Victoria.12 Sands and McDougall directory, 1904, 1924, 1950.13 See VHR citation for H0428 at http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/749;14 See VHR citation for H0396 at http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/762.15 See VHR citation for H0066 at http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/763.
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 106370 106371 106372 | 1 PDF : 1,204 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |